You're The Air I Breathe
by Careebear
Summary: Ever since the end of junior year it's been Puck and Rachel, inseparable from day one. Everyone thought they'd grow old together, even Puck. That is until Rachel leaves, leaving nothing except a letter behind. FUTURE FIC.
1. I will always love you, Noah Puckerman

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the characters etc. They belong to Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy.**

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><p><em>Dear Noah,<em>

_There is no easy way to write this. I think I've probably sat down and tried to write it about a hundred times. I guess I'll just have to give it a go. I'm leaving, but I guess you probably know that since I'll already be gone when you read this. When we graduated, I realised we aren't kids any more,we've turned into adults, and instead of dreaming our dreams we need to chase them. I can't be naïve any more and believe in fairy tales and happily ever afters, it just doesn't work like that in real life. Promise me that you won't waste any of your time feeling sorry for yourself, go to Columbus and be proud of that football scholarship because I'm so proud of you baby! And before you start questioning what you did wrong ( I know you will Noah) don't even question yourself for a second! I'm not one to use that cliché of a line 'It's not you, it's me' but in our case it's true. Find your happiness Noah, and try to move on, I couldn't stand to see you unhappy. Your greatness is going to inspire people Noah, just like you inspired me to be a better version of myself. You will do great things in your life Noah and I'm sorry that I can't be a part of that. I'll miss you._

_My Love Always,_

_Rachel._

_P.S I will always love you, Noah Puckerman._

_P.S.S Please don't come looking for me._

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><p>Rachel Berry sighed as she stared out of the air plane window. In her mind she knew she was doing the right thing, she was leaving Puck so that he could live the life he deserves. A life of greatness and popularity. A life without her. She lets her mind take her back to the day she decided that she was going to leave Lima. It was her high school graduation and she was over the moon. She'd been looking forward to spending a long, hot summer with Puck before she went off to UCLA. She loved every moment of it and couldn't wait to their annual glee club party which was a tradition they had on the last day of school. As she arrived at the choir groom she could see her boyfriend standing there in his black tux speaking to his best friend. A huge grin appeared on her face as it hit her once again that the athletic, gorgeous guy in front of her was actually HER boyfriend. Her smile quickly turned to a frown as she listened outside of the choir room to what the two guys were talking about.<p>

" I can't believe you didn't tell her about the football scholarship man." Rachel was confused as she heard Puck answer

" I didn't tell her because it's not an option for me man. I'm following her to California."

Sam answered quietly ' Puck dude, I don't think you'll get a scholarship there and I'm not saying this out of spite but your grades are definitely not good enough to get into UCLA."

Puck looked down awkwardly at the floor, " I'll get a job then, anything I don't care, I just don't want to be apart from her."

Sam looked down sympathetically at his best friend "Puck, what if it doesn't work out? You can't give up all your dreams for one girl. No, don't give me that pathetic puppy look Puckerman. I know you love her all right, I get that! But-pe-peole they fall out of love all the time and you shouldn't give up your whole life for Rachel freaking Berry, even if you do love her more than life itself."

The last sentence hit Rachel hard. She loved Noah with all her heart and was beside herself when he asked to join her in California. She agreed because he lied to her and told her that he didn't get any scholarships. He needed to fufill his dreams. At that very moment, Rachel Berry realised that if you truly care about somebody and you're holding them back, you need to set them free. Pools of tears were filling her eyes as she turned on her heel and sprinted to her car. As she drove home she decided to play the radio game, to help her make some difficult decisions.

_'"New York.. these streets will make you feel brand new, these lights will inspire you.."_

As Alicia Key's heartbreaking vocals filled her car she realised what she had to do. She picked up her telephone and dialled. She anxiously waited until the voice answered..

" Hello this is Lee Cioppa how may I help you?"

" Umm.. hello Mr Cioppa. It's Rachel Berry. I was wondering if the scholarship offer was still available at Julliard?"

" Rachel Berry! Hah, Of course it is, but I thought you decided to attend UCLA in the fall?"

" I guess LA's not the place for me after all, you know my heart's always belonged to the Broad-Way." Rachel answered choking back the tears.

" Well, it'll be great to have you. I will send the information you need over shortly."

" Thank you so much Mr Cioppa." She hung up and then drove off home, she saw her dad's sitting in the kitchen and went over to them. She shut her eyes to hold back the tears and told them that she needed flights and accommodation in New York asap. Her fathers didn't understand but they nodded and watched as she stumbled up the stairs to begin packing. One of her dads quickly followed her upstairs clutching a glass of water. Rachel thanked him and turned to her room. She knew she couldn't see Puck before leaving or she'll change her mind. She glanced at her pink, dazzling cell and noticed there was a dozen missed calls and texts from Puck and her fellow team-mates. She threw her phone on the floor and picked up her pen. She began writing the hardest letter she's ever had to write in her entire life.

Tear drops stained the paper as she thought of how much this was hurting her. But Rachel always knew why she was doing it. Puck's dreams where bigger than her.

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><p><strong>Author's Note : So this used to be a Samchel fanfiction but as I was writing the second chapter I realized it was more fitting as a Puckleberry one. I still don't know whether to continue with this or not...so please review and tell me what you think :)<strong>


	2. The Prince Always Gets His Princess

**Disclaimer : Unfortunately the rights to Glee haven't been signed over to me *sigh*, so I still don't own Glee. If I did Finchel wouldn't exist, ever. How can anyone ship them after the Puckleberry in last night's episode?**_ I also found myself shipping Fuinn a little last night. _

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><p>It was 7 am and Puck was lying in bed. His thoughts had kept him awake all night, 'Why was Rachel ignoring his calls and texts?' 'Why didn't she turn up to the Glee party?'. The questioning and guessing was getting to much for Puck and he was starting to drive himself insane. He figured the only to stop his worrying was to go over to the Berry's house and talk to Rachel face-to-face. Grabbing his crumbled jeans and his worn out Hollister shirt he rushed to the bathroom. He grabbed his car keys and ran out to his car. It was then he noticed the pink envelope stuck to his windscreen. A broad grin arrived on his face as he saw the feminine writing on the front that spelt out his name. Instantly, he knew it was from her. She was always sending him cute little love letters when they first started dating. He carefully opened the envelope and began reading. At first he didn't understand what it was all about, then his heart suddenly stopped in it's tracks when he read the words '<em>I'm leaving<em>'. Her words filled every corner of his mind as he continued reading. The next part of the letter was pretty much a blur to him, it was all about being naïve and not believing in fairy tales, he struggled to understand. He carried on reading and then suddenly gave out a loud cry and dropped to his knees. Rachel had left him. He didn't know how she knew about his scholarship and at that moment he didn't really care. All he could think about was how his only soul mate had left him and hadn't told him where she'd gone, although he guessed that maybe she'd gone out to LA earlier than she was meant to. He needed to find out, even if it did say at the end of the letter not to come after her, he knew he had to. He quickly scrambled clumsily into his car and drove off into the direction of the Berry's house.

He arrived at the all so familiar house and knocked the door anxiously. Hiram opened the door and his face dropped as he found Puck standing there with blood shot eyes. Puck looked up at him afraid.

" Oh.. Noah. I um guess you got Rachel's letter?" he said looking at the tear stained letter in Puck's hands.

Puck tried to open his mouth to speak but he couldn't, he just nodded sadly.

" I think you'd better come in Noah." Hiram said as he turned towards the kitchen where his husband was sitting, staring out of the window.

Puck quickly followed him, shutting the front door behind him. He silently sat down at the table facing Rachel's two dads.

" Has she actually left?" he whispered, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

" Yes son, I'm afraid she did, her plane left at about 1am, we're so sorry Noah." Leroy gave him a sympathetic look.

Puck looked down at his shoes, tears were forming in his eyes.

" Where has she gone?" Puck asked them, choking back the tears.

" I'm sorry Noah, but we're under strict orders not to tell you. We can't betray our daughter Noah, I'm sorry."

Puck nodded, he understood completely. He would've done the same.

" Have you heard from her at all? Is she safe?" He was crying at this time.

It was Leroy that answered this time as Hiram was getting Puck a glass of water.

It had become a reflex action, when he saw tears he grabbed some water.

"Yes she called us at 3am to tell us that she had arrived safe and was on her way to the apartment we've rented for her."

Puck nodded and thanked Hiram for the glass of water.

Suddenly he realised something, his theory of Rachel being in LA was completely wrong, if Rachel was on the way to her apartment at 3am then she couldn't be in LA. Puck might be dumb and he may not have attended many math lessons but he knew that it took at least 4 hours to fly to LA. Wherever Rachel was she had flown there in probably about an hour and a half, or something like that. That was when Puck started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He remembered back to the time when Rachel and him were making out in her room when he noticed a letter from the corner of his eye. He couldn't make out what the letter said but he could see the header clearly

'The Julliard School, New York City'

Puck nearly jumped up from excitement as he realised he might just have put the pieces together.

"I need to get to New York stat." Puck thought to himself.

Wasting no time he thanked the Berry's and ran out towards his car, speeding of towards his house.

On the way home, Puck tried to figure a way to get to New York. What if Rachel wasn't even there? No, she was definitely there he told himself. She had to be. He knew he could never afford the plane tickets but he also knew he couldn't drive. There was no way in hell his crummy old truck would make it all the way to New York. He immediately knew where he needed to go, he turned his car around and headed for the Hudson-Hummel household. As he pulled into his driveway he spotted Finn's mother and stepfather standing outside Kurt's car. Kurt suddenly appeared from inside the house holding a NYU catalogue and a large, Louis Vuitton suitcase. He watched as Kurt's slender arms struggled to lift the heavy suitcase in to his car. Puck scrambled out of his car and walked over to his family. Finn's mom noticed his blood shot eyes and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when suddenly Puck interrupted her.

"Hey Puck, Finn's at Quinn's house if you're looking for him..."

"Hummel , I know we're not the best of friends but I really need your help" Puck begged.

"Oh. Of course, what do you need?" Kurt asked, concerned over Puck's bloodshot eyes.

Puck couldn't believe his luck. When he needed a ride to New York, Kurt happened to be going to the exact same place!

"Do you mind if I catch a ride with you to New York?" Puck practically begged.

Kurt hesitated at first but then when he saw how broken Puck looked he nodded.

Puck noticed Kurt's hesitation but dismissed it. The only thing on his mind was Rachel Berry.

Carole and Burt went off to find another one of Kurt's suitcase. Kurt and Puck sat in the car silently, neither of them moving an inch.

" You're going to find Rachel aren't you?" Kurt broke the silence.

" Yes. I can't believe she just left me man! I need some answers ya'know?" Puck replied sadly.

" She had her reasons Puck. Believe me". Kurt rested a sympathetic hand on Puck's shoulder.

Puck looked up at the sky longingly.

" Wait a minute, you've talked to her? You know where she is don't you?" Puck angrily turned to face Kurt.

"Puck, don't get mad. She texted me last night, I tried to call her but she said she couldn't speak to me, she was that upset. She explained everything to me via text message and I believe she has made mature,reasonable decisions. You're not the only one that's hurting, believe me."

Puck whimpered, Kurt was right. Rachel was hurting as well as him.

Carole interrupted the boys by tapping on the window, having packed up an overnight bag for Puck using Finn's belongings. Puck rolled open his window and gave his thanks to Carole. He knew it was killing her that she didn't even know what to do or say, Puck wanted to explain to the caring woman but he couldn't get the words out. He couldn't say the words 'Rachel left me.' out loud, those three words killed him inside. As they bid their goodbyes Kurt pulled out of the driveway and headed for the highway. Puck stared out of the window and sighed. He pulled off the expensive watch Rachel had given him on his 18th birthday and flipped it over. Noah and Rachel, Forever and Always. The words were engraved on the back of watch and Puck clutched it tighter. Ever since the day they found themselves after the Fuinn reunion it had always been Puck and Rachel, Rachel and Puck. He didn't dare to think of himself as just Puck. But the thing that killed him the most was that feeling in the pit of his stomach that one day he was going to wake up and find out it was now Rachel and Another Guy. He tried not to let himself think like that. Instead he tried to keep a positive mental attitude. He was going to New York to find Rachel and he was going to get her back. Maybe Rachel didn't believe in fairytales but Puck did, and in fairy tales the prince always gets his princess.

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><p><strong>AN : Just a fair warning to the readers, this story will feature some frustrating chapters, it's not going to be easy for Puck and Rachel. Anyway, I hope ya'll will still read and keep reviewing, reviews make me smile :)**

**Also, does anyone have any idea where I can buy Sam's 'Trouty Mouth' t-shirt from? 'Cause I totes have a Trouty Mouth :(**


	3. Please Don't Take My Girl

**Disclaimer : I don't own Glee or any of the characters. If I did then Rachel would forget all about Finn and would be with either Puck or Sam.**

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><p>Exhausted from her early morning flight, Rachel dropped her pink suitcases on the floor at her new Brooklyn apartment. As she stood in the doorway she admired the old, artistic walls and the huge window in the living room where she could look out of and see the whole city in the background. It was very modern yet it had a very classical feel to it. She walked over to the window and looked out at the city. She couldn't believe that she had finally made it to New York. This had been her dream since she was a tiny thing. She wondered to herself why she had even ever considered LA, she knew that she had always belonged in New York. Yet, as she stood there staring out at the sleeping city, Rachel couldn't help but notice that feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Something was missing in her life, a big part. She tried not to think about him. Instead, she stepped away from the window and crawled in to bed. Grabbing a piece of paper she made of list of things she needed to do in the morning, some things never change!<p>

- Find a job.

- Buy an elliptical.

- Go shopping for food.

- Find a nice coffee shop.

- Don't think about Noah Puckerman.

She made sure she underlined the last one and then drifted off to sleep. Dreaming of the life she left behind.

It was 11:30 am when she woke up. Normally she wouldn't of forgiven herself for waking up so late but she justified it by telling herself that it was 4am when she finally fell asleep. She dragged herself out of bed and made it all the way to the kitchen before realising that she didn't have anything in. She grumbled and then dragged herself to the bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed. When she was finally ready to go she grabbed her bag and ran out the door. She began walking, looking around for a café or coffee shop. Searching through her bag she finally found what she was looking for, her iPhone. Her fathers had given it to her as a graduation present and she finally decided to ditch the old, pink phone. She unlocked it and then realised that she had a text message from Kurt. A grin appeared on her face as she read that he was soon going to be in New York and that he wanted to meet up. She was happy that somebody she knew was here with her, she wouldn't admit it but Rachel was terrified of being by herself. She slowly text messaged him back, still getting used to the touch screen telling him to meet her at the coffee shop she was now sitting in. As she collected her drink she looked around the coffee shop that was quite full of people. Sitting in the corner was a young couple, probably around her age. The girl was resting her head on her boy friend's shoulder while he held her close to him. A tear appeared in her eye and she started to cry softly. Rachel had never felt so lonely in her entire life.

She sipped her hot coffee slowly as she lost herself in memories. She had been sobbing quietly for about an hour and people in the shop started to notice. Grabbing her purse she made her way into the empty bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but notice that she looked different. Her big brown eyes weren't sparkling any more, and it wasn't because they were red and puffy. They looked dull and lifeless. Rachel couldn't help but feel dull and lifeless. She didn't notice the girl that was standing in the mirror, she felt like she didn't exist. Her broken heart started to beat rapidly as she started to shake. Her tears were falling faster and she fell to the floor, clutching her chest. Everything around her started to become blurry as she felt a tingling sensation soar through her blood. Her heart beat at a hundred miles an hour and it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She didn't know what was happening and didn't know what to do. She grabbed her phone and called the first number on her speed dial.

"Rachel!" his soft voice cried out.

"Help me" she said in a barley audible whisper.

Suddenly she dropped the expensive phone on the floor as her whole body went numb.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as everything went black.

The only sound that could be heard was Puck's voice shouting at the other end of the line, desperately waiting for her answer.

It was about 5 minutes later when somebody found her. The woman let out a panicked scream as she shouted for somebody to help her. She ordered somebody to call 911 as she checked for a pulse. A huge relief came over her as she found Rachel's slow pulse and realised she was still breathing. One of the waitresses came bursting in to the bathroom as she held the phone to her ear, listen carefully to what the paramedic was saying. When she realised she didn't even know the girl's name she handed the phone to the other women and grabbed Rachel's purse to search for some sort of identification. As she quickly looked for her wallet, she dropped the purse. When she picked it up she noticed the huge pile of photographs which had fallen out. They were all photographs of the girl and a tanned, handsome boy whom she guessed was called Noah as the girl had wrote on the back of evey photo 'Me and Noah at ...'. She noticed that the pictures were stained with tears and that the girl in them looked completely different to the broken girl that lay before her. She noticed the girl's cell phone lying next to her, which had a dozen missed calls from Noah – the boy in the photographs. She figured the boy ought to know what had happened so she called him back. He answered almost immediately.

"Rach! Oh my gosh! Are you okay? What happened?" his voice sounded alarmed.

" Erm, is this Noah?" the waitress asked.

" Yeah! Who's this? Why are you- is Rachel okay?" He sounded scared.

" This is Melanie Smith, I'm a waitress at Café Grumpy in Brooklyn, 7th avenue. A young girl has collapsed in our bathroom and I think her name is Rachel. I assume you know her very well as she carries a whole lot of pictures of you both in her purse. Anyway, the ambulance is on it's way."

Puck was silent. He couldn't speak. He eyes stung with tears.

"Um Sir? Are you still there?"

" Yeah, sorry! Is she okay? What happened?" Puck asked hopelessly.

" She's still breathing but she's definitely not okay. We don't know what's happened sorry. Do you live in the city? If you could get to the hospital it would be great because she needs you right now."

" It's okay. We're actually from Ohio but luckily enough I'm on my way to the city. I'll probably be there in about an hour." Puck urged Kurt to put his foot down.

"Which hospital?"

" I'm sorry I have to go, the paramedics have arrived. Don't worry Noah, it'll all be okay I promise. I'll text you with the address of the hospital as soon as I know! Bye." Melanie hung up and then moved out of the way so that the paramedics could reach Rachel.

As Puck removed his cell from his ear he squeezed his eyes to try to hold back the tears. There was a dramatic silence in the car for at least 10 minutes, which broke when Kurt turned the radio on.

Tim McGraw's soft voice filled the car, breaking the silence. Puck had never liked country music but he couldn't help but relate to the song.

'_Take the very breath you gave me, take the heart from my chest. I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me, make this my last request. Take me out of this world. God,please don't take the girl.'_

Puck was amazed that the actually in the exact same position. He didn't know if he and Rachel were still together but all he knew is that he loved her more than life itself. He'd gladly die for her and he'd use his very last breath to tell her that he loved her.

Even though he's Jewish, Puck isn't a religious guy, he's not one for praying, but he looked up at the sky and clasped his eyes shut. He whispered softly.

" God, please don't take my girl."

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><p><strong>AN: Just thought I'd let you all know this story does get a little frustrating I guess is the word? It does get very upsetting also. It's not going to be easy for Puck and Rachel! Anyway, thank y'all for reading and reviewing, I've had so many alerts! It's amazing! Please, please continue as reviews make me SMILE.**


	4. Critical

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee 'cause if I did Finchel would just be the name of a ridiculous yet delicious baked treat.**

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><p>When Kurt's black SUV pulled up outside the hospital, Puck jumped straight out and ran towards the entrance, leaving Kurt behind to park the car. He wasn't used to hospitals, he avoided them as much as he could. He hated hospitals more than he hated Jesse , and that said something. It wasn't the smell of old people or the sadness of the place that he hated. It was knowing that people die there everyday, people who were loved by others. The fluorescence of the lighting was causing his eyes to sting. A mixture of no sleep, crying your eyes out and hospital lighting is not good. As he reached the desk of the unit he stopped to take his breath. The woman behind the desk looked up at him kindly. She could see that he was distraught.<p>

" How can I help you son?" She asked kindly.

" Rachel Berry." He stumbled out. He wasn't thinking straight.

" Oh, the pretty girl from the coffee shop?"

"Yes! Is she OK? Can I see her?" Puck managed to get a whole sentence out this time.

" Rachel is in a coma at the moment. She's in the ICU at the moment. We can only allow close family." She told him sympathetically.

" Oh my god! Is that bad? I'm her.. fiancé"

" Son, I think you need to speak to her doctor. She's in room 2." She smiled.

As Puck walked towards Rachel's room. He couldn't understand how the woman believed him that she was his fiancé. He reached her room and looked in. He fell to the floor as he saw her. She looked like an angel, except for the fact that there was all types of wires coming in and out of her and she was hooked up to so many machines. He didn't know what to do.

Puck was shaking to the core. He knew that he needed to step up and be strong. But he wasn't strong. Sure he was physically, but emotionally? He was weak. Rachel was always the one to get him through stuff. He never thought that he'd be the one that needed to come through for her. Puck wanted to run back out of the hospital and crawl into a ball and cry. But he knew that Rachel needed him, and he was going to be there for her. He carefully turned the door handle and walked in to the small room. He sat down in the small chair by her bed and held her small hand. He brushed his fingers lightly over hers. It was amazing how pale she'd become. It was amazing how small she looked. Puck sat there looking at her, amazed by her beauty.

" Hey Rach. It's me. Noah. I read somewhere that sometimes people in coma's can hear you, so I hope you're listening to me right now. I don't know why you left me, I don't understand but right now I don't care okay? I need you to wake up for me baby, cause this isn't supposed to happen. You're going to be a star Rach, that's your future, even if I'm not in it, I don't care. All I want is for you to be happy."

Puck choked on his words. The tears pooling in his eyes.

" And, I've never been good with words, but I need to tell you this. I'll always love you Rachel Berry. Always."

Puck looked up at her face which was motionless. He decided that the needed to make her understand, so he decided to sing to her.

" Rach, I know you probably can't hear but I need to tell you something important. But I'm not very good at getting words out, so I'm gonna sing, 'kay?"

He actually waited for a reply he knew he wasn't going to get. He began to sing softly.

_'There's a storm coming up  
>and I gotta prepare myself<br>'Cause this felling's  
>getting stronger everyday<em>

_Something's creeping inside  
>Everything is about to change<br>Gotta face the fact  
>That I can't walk away<em>

Puck clutched Rachel's hand tighter as he looked at her beautifully, broken face._  
><em>

_This is critical_  
><em>I'm feeling helpless<em>  
><em>So hysterical, this can't be healthy<em>  
><em>I can't eat or sleep<em>  
><em>When you're not with me<em>  
><em>Baby, you're the air i breath<em>  
><em>This is critical, yeah<em>  
><em>So stuck on you<em>

_Used to have everything figured out_  
><em>But it's different now<em>  
><em>When you came, you saw<em>  
><em>You conquered my heart<em>

_It's your laugh and your smile_  
><em>wanna stay for a little while<em>  
><em>I don't wanna go<em>  
><em>I just want you in my arms<em>

Puck stared at her as he imagines his life without her in it.

_This is critical_  
><em>I'm feeling helpless<em>  
><em>So hysterical, and this can't be healthy<em>  
><em>I can't eat or sleep<em>  
><em>When you're not with me<em>  
><em>Baby, you're the air I breath<em>  
><em>This is critical, yeah<em>  
><em>So stuck on you<em>

_Used to run and hide_  
><em>Used to bend our love<em>  
><em>But I can't escape this time<em>  
><em>Oh no<em>

_This is critical_  
><em>I am feeling helpless<em>  
><em>So hysterical, and this can't be healthy<em>  
><em>I can't eat or sleep<em>  
><em>When you're not with me<em>  
><em>You're the air I breath<em>  
><em>This is critical, yeah<em>

_Baby it's so critical_  
><em>(It's so critical, yeah)<em>  
><em>It's so critical<em>  
><em>(So critical, yeah)<em>  
><em>And I like it<em>  
><em>It's so critical<em>  
><em>(So critical, yeah)<em>  
><em>It's so critical<em>  
><em>(So critical, yeah)<em>  
><em>So stuck on you.<em>

Puck tried to focus on the last sentence. He needed Rachel to stay with him, Forever. He was stuck on her. He slumped back in to his seat, still clutching Rachel's hand. He figured he'd try to get some sleep. As he started to drift off, a doctor entered the room. Puck shot up to his feet as the doctor looked at him and nodded.

" You must be her... fiancé?" he asked suspiciously.

" Err, yeah! I'm Puck- Noah. So, can you tell me what's wrong with her?" Puck asked nervously.

" Well, Rachel has suffered from a heart attack Noah." the doctor looked at him seriously.

A thousand thoughts shot through Puck's head. A heart attack? Didn't that only happen to old people? Rachel didn't smoke, she never drank and she exercised every day! It was impossible for her to have a heart attack!

" But she's so healthy! How is that possible?" Puck asked the doctor quietly.

" A heart attack isn't always a result of an unhealthy lifestyle. In Rachel's case, she has suffered from something called Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. It weakened her heart tissue."

" I'm sorry, I don't understand. What is this takostucadi-thing?" Puck shot the doctor a worried glance.

" Oh, sorry. It's commonly known as broken-heart syndrome."

Puck stared at the doctor and then at Rachel. Had he caused this? Was this his fault? Did he really break her heart? The doctor rested his hand on Puck's shoulder.

" Is she going to die?" Puck whispered. He was afraid of the answer.

" She's stable. We have no reason to doubt that she'll make a full recovery. Good night Puck. Try to get some sleep okay?"

The doctor began to walk off as Puck calls after him.

" Thanks doc. When will she wake up?"

The doctor answered softly. " That's up to Rachel. Don't worry son, try and get some sleep."

Puck nodded his thanks and went back to sit on the chair. He pulled out a blanket from underneath Rachel's bed and pulled it over him. His phone vibrated in his pocket, he slid it out and flipped it open.

_1 New Msg. - Hummel_

_Hey. Hope everything is ok. Gone 2 hotel, figured you'll be stayin ther? Let me kno if u need me 2 cme get u. Kurt._

He quickly texted back, his large fingers covering all the buttons.

_Hey Kurt! She's stable. Thnx im gna stay here tnite. Thnx 4 everything man! P._

He slipped the phone back in to his pocket and tried to find a comfortable position on the chair. When he'd finally settled he lifted his head up.

"Sweet dreams baby girl. I love you."

With that, he finally closed his tired eyes. He fell asleep almost instantly. It was obvious he was tired as he was in a very deep sleep. So deep that he didn't hear the sleeping singer next to him quietly hum the song he'd just sung to her. He didn't notice her whispering the five words before slipping back in to her coma.

" I love you too Noah."

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><p>AN : So yeah, I hope you guys like this. It's very AU but hopefully I've still somehow managed to get it right. Oh and I'm not a doctor so sorry if any medical terms are wrong. Please Review :)

Care :)


	5. Follow your Dreams, Noah!

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I'm just borrowing them for the sake of this story.**

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><p>It was a week later and Rachel hadn't woken from her coma at all. She was unconcious at all times. Puck stayed there all the time, mainly because he couldn't bare to be apart from her and because her dad's were in London. He was worried that she hadn't been awake, even though the doctors assured him it was all fine, he could see the look in their eyes. Almost like they were scared. He tried to shrug off the looks but it was always in his mind on replay. Puck leaned back in the chair and picked up a book off the table.<p>

'Spring Awakening'.

He looked at the cover. He'd found it in Rachel's purse and figured he'd started reading it as he had nothing else to do. He carefully opened the fragile book, obviously been read over and over again by the girl lying in the bed next to him. As he lost himself into the story of Wendla and Melchior he began to understand why Rachel loved these stories so much. Yeah, he knew she loved the music part of them but maybe there was something else about these stories that appealed to her. As he'd gotten to know Rachel over the years he'd realised something about her, how she puts up a shield to hide her vulnerability. Maybe, Rachel liked the fact that when she was singing or playing a character she forgot about putting up her shield. Like she lived in the fairytale was the only one who fully understood Rachel, maybe even a little better than she knew herself.

Puck was almost halfway through the book when he heard some unfamiliar shuffling. He tore himself from the book he was enjoying and followed the sound until he saw big brown eyes staring at him. He opened his mouth in shock and lept forward towards her. He didn't know how much time he had until she slipped back into her coma so he figured he needed to talk to her quickly. The only problem was that he was in such shock that when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He just stood there staring at her as she stared back at him, confused.

" Hi Noah." she said groggily, breaking the tense silence that had filled the room.

When he heard her speak, something suddenly clicked inside him. His brain finally registered the fact that she was awake. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

" Rach..baby! I can't believe your awake, I'm so happy, so so happy!" He sobbed into her hand.

Rachel smiled a weak smile as she looked down at him.

" I'm not going anywhere."

" I'm very glad to hear that! Oh baby, I missed you so much!" He kissed her forehead.

" I heard you sing to me Noah. Your voice was like an angel's. I thought I was in heaven!" she laughed weakly.

" I knew you'd hear that! I prayed for you." Puck smiled broadly.

" Thank you Noah." She nodded her small head appreciatively.

" I should probably get the doctor." Rachel nodded as Puck kissed her lightly and then left. As she watched him walk out of the door she bit her lip nervously.

A small doctor entered the room carrying a blue clipboard. He smiled at Rachel as he walked towards her to check some of the machines that were connected to her. Puck stood anxiously in the doorway, watching the doctor's every move. After he'd collected all the specific things he needed he sat down in the chair. He asked Puck to step outside so that he could have a private word with Rachel. Puck stepped out into the corridor and closed the door behind him. He could see Rachel nod her head weakly as the doctor talked to her. He walked over to the water machine that was across the corridor and poured himself a drink. He sipped his water slowly as he walked back towards Rachel's room. When he arrived the doctor was on his way out of the room and he gave Puck a quick smile as he rushed off down towards the stairs. Puck re-entered the room and smiled at Rachel. She didn't smile back. Instead she turned her head to face the wall. He didn't understand what was wrong so he just sat back down and stared at her.

" I told you not to come looking for me." Rachel spoke quietly, breaking the silence.

" W-what?" Puck was shocked. Why was she bringing it up again?

" Don't act dumb Noah because you're not dumb. I told you in the letter not to come looking for me, yet, here you are in New York." Rachel didn't look at him. She couldn't.

" Yeah I came looking for you! Do you know why? Because you were my girlfriend Rach and I love you. I figured I deserved an explanation. A goodbye even." Puck's voice was raised.

" Noah.. I gave you an explanation and a good-" Puck interrupted.

" What? That stupid letter? That wasn't fair Rachel! You didn't explain shit, you just rambled on about fairytales and dreams! And I've read the letter over and over again and I don't remember the words goodbye being there! You just left me Rachel!" Puck's voice was starting to break.

" It was totally fair! And I did explain! I left for your own good Noah!" She turned around to face him.

" My own good? How the hell was this meant to be a good thing for me Rach? Ey? When I read that letter it was like somebody had ripped out my heart and stomped on it 'till it was totally crushed! That's not healthy Rachel!" Puck was waving his hands about dramatically.

" You wanted to follow me instead of following your dreams Noah! I didn't want you to be the man in twenty years time, pumping gas in Lima, telling everybody how much you hate your ex girlfriend!"

Puck was furious, Rachel didn't understand anything.

" No, instead I'm going to be the man who plays pro football and hates your guts for breaking my heart!" He jumped up to his feet and began stomping over towards the door.

Rachel couldn't believe Puck would be so hurtful. She was only trying to help him! She began sobbing quietly and the sound of her tears caused Puck's anger to wash away. He turned away from the door and headed back towards her and he held her hand. Rachel stared up at him with her big brown eyes.

" I'm sorry. I could never hate you." He whispered.

Rachel closed her eyes.

"Noah, you need to go back to Lima and forget about me."

" Rach! No! How the hell do you expect me to move on? I love you! And I know you love me too!"

" No, I loved you." She was lying through her teeth.

Puck's eyes filled with tears as he looked at her in utter shock.

" I don't believe you." he mumbled.

"It's the truth." Another lie.

" No! This can't be happening!" Puck was shaking uncontrollably.

Rachel wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in his muscular arms and hug him so tight that the smell of his cologne stayed in her memory all night. But she couldn't. She reminded herself that she was doing all of this so that he could be successful. Even if she was breaking her own heart in the process. Literately.

" I'm sorry." She said in a small voice.

Puck looked up at her. He was now sobbing like a small child. His eyes stinging.

" It's okay. I'll leave. But it's only because I don't want you to have another heart attack. I'll miss you. I love you so much Rachel! Remember, if you change your mind sometime I'll always love you."

" Thank you for being understanding Noah. I promise I won't call. I'll let you move on. I hope you find happiness." She smiled at him but her tears were still falling fast.

" Goodbye Rachel Berry."

" Goodbye Noah Puckerman"

They kissed for the last time and they both tried to ignore the electrical currents that were sent through their veins as their lips touched. They could both taste the salty tears that were dripping on to their lips. Neither of them wanted to let go but eventually Rachel broke the kiss. Puck looked at her one last time and then he got up off the bed and walked towards the door.

" Follow your dreams Noah!" Rachel grinned at him, trying to hold back the tears.

Puck nodded thoughtfully and walked out of the door.

He muttered to himself "I already followed my dream and she sent me away"

The large corridor was silent except for the sound of Puck's tears falling on to the dull floor.

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><p><strong>AN : I haven't updated any of my stories in so long! Life got in the way of my writing I guess! Anyway, I'm back and with a brand new pen name. **


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